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Be Smart.

Joe Hanson

We give you deep answers to simple questions about science and the rest of the universe. And also dad jokes. Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, PhD. He's a molecular biologist and an award-winning science communicator and journalist

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  • Friday · 11 min

    Why Don't Birds Lay Square Eggs?

    PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY ↓ More info and sources below ↓ SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub What is ”egg-shaped” even? I used to think it was the shape of a chicken egg. Then one day I saw a collection of eggs from lots of different bird species, and I realized just how many different kind of egg shapes there really are! I had to know why. And it turns out a couple teams of scientists had wondered the same thing. Here’s what science says about why eggs are egg-shaped, if that's even a thing, which I’ve learned it might not be. Evolution of bird eggs, go! #egg #biophysics #eggvolution References: https://sites.google.com/view/why-are-eggs-egg-shaped/home ----------- FOLLOW US for more curiosity: Twitter http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/ Books from our episodes: http://smart-books.tumblr.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 10 min

    Ask Joe Topics #4

    You have questions, I have answers! Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More below ↓ In this edition of Ask Joe Stuff, you'll find out what the date really is according to Earth's age, why we get chills up our spine, what my favorite planet is, why hair grows (or doesn't), and why root beer is so foamy. Yummy science! Check out my buddy Veritasium's videos on the wave/particle nature of light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cztocbHiiqQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuv6hY6zsd0 Check out the Ask Joe Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsmqeqKj7M-r5ktD9-RAaUYWxWFjPV1w- Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography Stephanie Noone - Editor John Knudsen - Gaffer Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios ----------- Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 7 min

    The Remarkable Owl!

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Enjoy these amazing facts about owls! Don’t miss the next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ As we get ready to watch that big football game that my lawyers tell me I’m not allowed to say the name of, let’s celebrate a champion of the bird world: Stealthy and silent owls! Learn how owls fly so silently, how they see in the dark, and how owls’ incredible hearing makes them such superb aerial hunters. Want more awesome owl science? Check out “What Makes Owls So Quiet and Deadly?” from KQED’s Deep Look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a68fIQzaDBY Special thanks to: The Witmer Lab at Ohio University Learn more: Wagner, Hermann, et al. "Features of owl wings that promote silent flight." Interface Focus 7.1 (2017): 20160078. Wagner, Hermann, et al. "Neuroethology of prey capture in the barn owl (Tyto alba L.)." Journal of Physiology-Paris 107.1 (2013): 51-61. FOLLOW US: It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Shaena Montanari Editor/animator/producer: Andrew Orsak Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Snapchat: YoDrJoe Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 9 min

    What Do Raindrops Really Look Like?

    Learn more about opportunities from KiwiCo here: https://www.kiwico.com/okay SUBSCRIBE so you never miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ What do raindrops look like? Exactly how we drew them as kids, right? Wrong! Teardrop-shaped rain is physically impossible. This week I went inside a vertical wind tunnel to bring you the true shape of rain. Special thanks to iFly Indoor Skydiving in Austin, TX! Learn more about their STEM field trips: https://www.iflyworld.com/programs/stem-field-trips/ REFERENCES: Dr. Scot Martin, Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry at Harvard University https://www.seas.harvard.edu/directory/smartin Terminal Velocity of Raindrops Aloft https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/10.1175/1520-0450%281969%29008%3C0249%3ATVORA%3E2.0.CO%3B2 The Terminal Velocity of Fall for Water Droplets in Stagnant Air https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/1520-0469%281949%29006%3C0243%3ATTVOFF%3E2.0.CO%3B2 Single-Drop Fragmentation Determines Size Distribution of Raindrops https://www.nature.com/articles/nphys1340 ----------- FOLLOW US: Twitter: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart BOOKS WE’VE FEATURED: http://smart-books.tumblr.com/ ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Sarah Keartes Creative Director: David Schulte Editor/animator: Derek Borsheim Producers: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 5 min

    How The Moon Controls Biology

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate This video is FULL of cool MOON biology 😏 Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Organisms of all shapes and sizes synchronize their behaviors using biological clocks. Some keep pace with the daily rising and setting sun using circadian rhythms. Others use annual cycles or the changing seasons as their cue. But many animals use moonlight and Earth’s lunar cycle to run their biological clock. Do humans do the same thing, with things like menstrual cycles? This week we take a look at living by moonlight. Menstrual cycle data courtesy of Clue app (https://helloclue.com/) Grunion footage courtesy of KQED’s Deep Look (https://www.youtube.com/user/KQEDDeepLook) and Dr. Michael Murrie - Pepperdine University SOURCES: The Myth of the Moon and Menstruation: https://medium.com/clued-in/the-myth-of-the-moon-and-menstruation-f85b151e45c3 Grant, Rachel, Tim Halliday, and Elizabeth Chadwick. "Amphibians’ response to the lunar synodic cycle—a review of current knowledge, recommendations, and implications for conservation." Behavioral Ecology 24.1 (2012): 53-62. Zhang, Lin, et al. "Dissociation of circadian and circatidal timekeeping in the marine crustacean Eurydice pulchra." Current Biology 23.19 (2013): 1863-1873. Zantke, Juliane, et al. "Circadian and circalunar clock interactions in a marine annelid." Cell reports 5.1 (2013): 99-113. Warren, H. B. Aspects of the behaviour of the impala male, Aepyceros melampus, during the rut. National Museums and Monuments of Rhodesia, 1974. ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Eli Kintisch Editor/animator: Stephen Fishman Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 4 min

    Developing Curiosity

    An ode to curiosity... with LEGO! Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Subscribe to It's Okay To Be Smart: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub My tribute to Curiosity, both the NASA rover and the human desire to discover, featuring words from some of science's greatest minds and LEGO's special edition Mars rover set SOURCES: Carl Sagan: "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - The Lives of the Stars" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7L6SZPxgNg "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - The Backbone of the Night" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeaPIy6eS_g "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCxc5w-SfpA Neil deGrasse Tyson: "Science is in our DNA" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVrVdtSFK7c "Cosmos: A SPacetime Odyssey Q&A" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfUuj0YLmMg Bill Nye: "The Good Stuff - Bill Nye and the Origin of Everything" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMKTiPUl8E4 "Why We Explore" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVZmL5UARcs "Bill Nye Debates Ken Ham" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6kgvhG3AkI Hank Green: "Curiosity is the Finest Human Quality" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kQ1Po7vzUk Jane Goodall: "Sowing the Seeds of Hope" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vibssrQKm60 Richard Feynman: "Take the World From a Different Point of View" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgJPjG4KJYQ James Cameron: "Before Avatar - A Curious Boy (TED2010)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVfd6fg7QsM Produced for PBS Digital Studios Joe Hanson - Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director/Editor Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc Kate Eads - Associate Producer Music: "Evolver" by Jesper Kyd (APM Music Library) ----------- Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 14 min

    The Weird Reason Plants Aren't Black

    PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY ↓ More info and sources below ↓ We’re on PATREON now! Join the community ►► https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Why are trees and other plants green? Seems like a simple question. But the answer is full of surprises. Using a special camera that can pick up light just beyond the visible range, into the near-infrared, you’ll get to see trees like you’ve never seen them before. And these other-worldly images can teach us not only why trees are green on Earth, but what color photosynthetic life on other planets might be. #TeamTrees References: https://sites.google.com/view/treesonotherplanets-references/home Special thanks to our Brain Trust Patrons: AlecZero Bob Rosset Brent M. Diego Lombeida ----------- Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 11 min

    The Science of Barbecuing!!!

    Science is delicious! Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Franklin BBQ: https://franklinbarbecue.com/ Basic BBQ science: http://bbq.tamu.edu/bbq-science/ http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/meat_science.html Chemistry smoke ring: http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_the_smoke_ring.html Thermodynamics of BBQ cooking http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/thermodynamics_of_cooking.html The dreaded "stall": http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/the_stall.html Does BBQ smoke contain carcinogens?: http://chemistry.about.com/b/2013/05/05/barbeque-carcinogens.htm Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Edited by Arts + Labor: http://arts-and-labor.com/ Music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Stock images via Shutterstock Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios ----------- Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 5 min

    Why Seasons Lack Sense

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Your winter isn't everyone's winter Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Sources: Trenberth, Kevin E. "What are the seasons?." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 64.11 (1983): 1276-1282. http://climate.envsci.rutgers.edu/climdyn2014/TrenberthSeasons.pdf http://nautil.us/blog/dont-believe-the-hype-winter-does-not-begin-tonight Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 9 min

    Your Microbiome: The Microscopic Creatures That Keep You Alive!

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Try Audible today: http://www.audible.com/ok “I Contain Multitudes” by Ed Yong http://amzn.to/2aE5rlf ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Get yourself an awesome IOTBS shirt! http://dftba.com/besmart Learn more/references: Fujimura, Kei E., et al. "House dust exposure mediates gut microbiome Lactobacillus enrichment and airway immune defense against allergens and virus infection." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111.2 (2014): 805-810. Strachan, David P. "Family size, infection and atopy: the first decade of the 'hygiene hypothesis'." Thorax 55.Suppl 1 (2000): S2. Gerrard, J. W., et al. "Serum IgE levels in white and metis communities in Saskatchewan." Annals of allergy 37.2 (1976): 91-100. Kuleshov, Volodymyr, et al. "Synthetic long-read sequencing reveals intraspecies diversity in the human microbiome." Nature biotechnology 34.1 (2016): 64-69. Li, Junhua, et al. "An integrated catalog of reference genes in the human gut microbiome." Nature biotechnology 32.8 (2014): 834-841. Elahi, Shokrollah, et al. "Immunosuppressive CD71+ erythroid cells compromise neonatal host defence against infection." Nature 504.7478 (2013): 158-162. Gibbons, Deena, et al. "Interleukin-8 (CXCL8) production is a signatory T cell effector function of human newborn infants." Nature medicine 20.10 (2014): 1206-1210. German, J., et al. "Human milk oligosaccharides: evolution, structures and bioselectivity as substrates for intestinal bacteria." Personalized Nutrition for the Diverse Needs of Infants and Children. Vol. 62. Karger Publishers, 2008. 205-222. Sela, D. A., et al. "The genome sequence of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis reveals adaptations for milk utilization within the infant microbiome."Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105.48 (2008): 18964-18969. C-section statitics: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/health-at-a-glance-2015_health_glance-2015-en Kroiss, Johannes, et al. "Symbiotic streptomycetes provide antibiotic combination prophylaxis for wasp offspring." Nature Chemical Biology 6.4 (2010): 261-263. Zaneveld, Jesse, et al. "Host-bacterial coevolution and the search for new drug targets." Current opinion in chemical biology 12.1 (2008): 109-114. ---------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Snapchat: YoDrJoe Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from SciencePhoto http://www.sciencephoto.com/ and Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) http://www.videoblocks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 8 min

    What If Animals Delivered Relationship Advice?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Your love life would be WILD Don’t miss the next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Special thanks to Jurgen Otto and Brave Bison for that great peacock spider video! Check out https://www.youtube.com/user/Peacockspiderman Get a sneak peek of the Maker Box I'm curating for Quarterly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vit_ozLnHmA Order yours by Feb. 22, 2017! ttp://on.qrtr.ly/ItsOKtoMake Ever find yourself wishing for relationship advice and have no one to turn to? Looking for the secrets to a long and happy relationship but can’t find the answers? Maybe you just want to know how to tell that certain someone that you like them, but don’t know how to make the first move? Have no fear, Mother Nature is here! Other animals have millennia worth of mating experience, maybe they can teach us a thing or two? ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Sarah Keartes Editor/animator/producer: Andrew Matthews Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 5 min

    The Incredible Biological Link We All Have With Our Mom

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate They say mom's never far away, but I don't think this is what they had in mind. In this episode, learn about the mind-blowing connection you share with your mom. A little bit of you never leaves the other! More reading below! Chimera/fetal microchimerism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microchimerism http://boingboing.net/2012/01/03/cells.html http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-discover-childrens-cells-living-in-mothers-brain/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fetal-cells-microchimerism/ http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/32678/title/Swapping-DNA-in-the-Womb/ http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/lab-rat/2014/04/13/guest-post-i-am-my-mothers-chimera/ Maternal cells persist to adulthood in child: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC408407/ Fetal cells assist in cardiac repair: http://circres.ahajournals.org/content/110/1/3.full Fetal cells assist in scar healing: https://www.landesbioscience.com/article/28746/full_text/#load/info/all Spider babies that eat their mother: https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/gory-details/some-animals-eat-their-moms-and-other-cannibalism-facts Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography Andrew Matthews - Editor and motion graphics John Knudsen - Gaffer Music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios ----------- Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Thursday · 5 min

    Does The Moon Really Orbit The Earth?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate What holds the moon up? Moonbeams! Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ According to Newton's law of gravitation, the sun should "pull" way harder on the moon than the Earth does. So does the moon actually orbit the Earth? Why? Special thanks to Ariel for submitting this awesome question to our Facebook page! Hill Spheres and lunar orbit: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/09/29/the-moon-that-went-up-a-hill-but-came-down-a-planet/#.VULLHq1Viko True shape of moon's orbit: http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/teaching/convex.html Newton's law of gravitation vs. Hill Sphere: https://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=18501 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_sphere Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe ----------------- It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.DFollow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Google+ https://plus.google.com/+itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Stephen Bohls - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks French subtitles by Alessandro Dal Cero ----------------- Last week's video: What's The Loudest Possible Sound? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi_aawsChqA More videos: Why Does February Have 28 Days? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKaHTh-_Gs Why Vaccines Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aNhzLUL2ys Why Are Some People Left-Handed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPvMUpcxPSA Where Does the Smell of Rain Come From? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcE5x8s0B8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Thursday · 7 min

    Can Coral Reefs Adapt to Climate Change?

    This episode is brought to you by Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/ ↓ More info and sources below ↓ We can’t afford to wait any longer to act on climate change. Check out #OursToLose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgOV1dYdYVk References/Links: Coral/Zooxanthellae symbiosis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zooxanthellae Global coral bleaching event is underway in 2015: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2015/100815-noaa-declares-third-ever-global-coral-bleaching-event.html Learn more about the effects and extent of coral bleaching: http://www.globalcoralbleaching.org/ Could we ever lose all our corals? http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/01/21/will-we-ever-lose-all-our-corals/ Coral reef ecosystem species density: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/priority-areas/rio-20-ocean/blueprint-for-the-future-we-want/marine-biodiversity/facts-and-figures-on-marine-biodiversity/ Oceans absorb half of global CO2: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0715_040715_oceancarbon.html Oceans absorb 90% of excess heat: http://e360.yale.edu/feature/how_long_can_oceans_continue_to_absorb_earths_excess_heat/2860/ Extent of coral loss: http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/coasts/coral_reefs/coral_facts/ Coral reef accelerated evolution: van Oppen, Madeleine JH, et al. "Building coral reef resilience through assisted evolution." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112.8 (2015): 2307-2313. http://www.pnas.org/content/112/8/2307.full Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/okaytbesmart ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc. Kate Eads - Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Camera John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: “Ouroboros” by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Thursday · 9 min

    The Secret of Why Glacier Ice is Blue!

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Learn more at http://curiositystream.com/smart ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Step beneath this glacier in 360˚ virtual reality! https://youtu.be/xWL-zXFWClE Where do glaciers and icebergs get their beautiful blue color? This unique blue might be nature’s most brilliant, and the color arises in a very special way thanks to some surprising interactions between light and water molecules. Who knew physics could be so breathtaking? Special thanks to : Josh Cassidy from KQED’s Deep Look ► https://www.youtube.com/user/KQEDDeepLook Above & Beyond Alaska wilderness tours: http://beyondak.com/ Filmed at Mendenhall Glacier under a Special Use Permit on the Juneau Ranger District, Tongass National Forest READ MORE: Absorption spectrum of water: http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/water_vibrational_spectrum.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_absorption_by_water ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Joe Hanson Cinematography: Josh Cassidy Producer/editor/animator: David Schulte Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Thursday · 8 min

    The Wonderful Science of… Dust?

    PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY ↓ More info and sources below ↓ No use cleaning... the universe is full of dust. And some of its biggest action is a result of its smallest stuff. SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub The Secret Life of Dust by Hannah Holmes: http://amzn.to/1hCuwtT More dusty science: Space dust and dirty cars: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/65443038570/space-dust-dirty-car The Science of Snow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUot7XSX8uA The Bodele Depression fertilizes half the Amazon: http://bit.ly/1qAqK6w From Africa to the Amazon: http://bit.ly/1p4ivm3 More about the Zodiacal Light: http://bit.ly/P15PLW NASA atmospheric dust and aerosol visualization: http://1.usa.gov/1nn8WKm Cosmic dust and the birth of our solar system: http://bit.ly/1iPBitH WHO report on air pollution: http://bit.ly/1jFwTeU Micrometeorites: http://bit.ly/1eBN9yQ Thanks to Dr. Don Brownlee for helpful discussion on this episode! Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography Andrew Matthews - Editor and motion graphics John Knudsen - Gaffer Music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Produced for PBS Digital Studios ----------- Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Thursday · 7 min

    Why BEAVERS Are The Smartest Thing In Fur Pants

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Leave it to beavers! Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Beavers have done more to shape North American landscapes than any animal beside humans. We don’t notice them much today because there aren’t many left, but before colonization, North America was home to hundreds of millions of these furry engineers. This week, we show you why Earth’s second largest rodent is more amazing than you ever knew, and why they’re the smartest thing in fur pants. Special thanks to Josh Cassidy from KQED’s Deep Look for joining me in Alaska and shooting this episode! ► https://www.youtube.com/user/KQEDDeepLook Filmed under a Special Use Permit on the Juneau Ranger District, Tongass National Forest Special thanks to Chuck Caldwell and Juneau Beaver Patrol ----------- READ MORE: “Once They Were Hats: In Search of the Mighty Beaver” - Francis Backhouse http://amzn.to/2tfmLTZ “The Beaver: Natural History of a Wetlands Engineer” - Dietland Müller-Schwarze and Lixing Sun http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/977989893 ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Shaena Montanari Camera: Josh Cassidy Producer/editor/animator: Andrew Matthews Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Thursday · 15 min

    There Might Be a Dinosaur On Your Dinner Table

    Follow me to Science Magic Show Hooray! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-idW62ibWQ SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Eating turkey this holiday season? Chowing down on a roast chicken? You’re eating a dinosaur! Entertain your family and friends with a little science lesson this year, and show them why bird bones tell us that birds are actually living dinosaurs. Comparative anatomy of dinosaurs and chicken - HHMI https://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/comparative-anatomy-domestic-chicken Special thanks to: Anna Rothschild Mary Beth Albright and The Washington Post Food Lab Shaena Montanari, Ph.D. ----------- FOLLOW US: Twitter: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart SEND US STUFF: It’s Okay To Be Smart PO Box 303356 Austin, TX 78703 USA BOOKS WE’VE FEATURED: http://smart-books.tumblr.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Thursday · 9 min

    We've Got Ants In Our Garden!

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate What is this? A forest for ANTS?! Deep Look: https://youtu.be/fguo3HvWjb0 Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Want to wear your love for science? We’ve got merch: http://dftba.com/besmart Follow Aaron Pomerantz: http://www.thenextgenscientist.com/ Twitter: @aaronpomerantz Special thanks to Dr. Corrie Moreau from The Field Museum for helpful discussions while we were making this episode! References/Learn More: Edwards, David P., et al. "A plant needs ants like a dog needs fleas: Myrmelachista schumanni ants gall many tree species to create housing." The American Naturalist 174.5 (2009): 734-740. Frederickson, Megan E. "Conflict over Reproduction in an Ant‐Plant Symbiosis: Why Allomerus octoarticulatus Ants Sterilize Cordia nodosa Trees." The American Naturalist 173.5 (2009): 675-681. Frederickson, Megan E., and Deborah M. Gordon. "The intertwined population biology of two Amazonian myrmecophytes and their symbiotic ants." Ecology 90.6 (2009): 1595-1607. Haddad Junior, Vidal, Luiz Roberto Hernandes Bicudo, and Adílson Fransozo. "The Triplaria tree (Triplaris spp) and Pseudomyrmex ants: a symbiotic relationship with risks of attack for humans." Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 42.6 (2009): 727-729 Heil, Martin, et al. "Partner manipulation stabilises a horizontally transmitted mutualism." Ecology letters 17.2 (2014): 185-192. Hölldobler, Bert, and Edward O. Wilson. The ants. Harvard University Press, 1990. Sanchez, Adriana, and Edwin Bellota. "Protection against herbivory in the mutualism between Pseudomyrmex dendroicus (Formicidae) and Triplaris americana (Polygonaceae)." Journal of Hymenoptera Research 46 (2015): 71. Solano, Pascal-Jean, Monique Belin-Depoux, and Alain Dejean. "Formation and structure of food bodies in Cordia nodosa (Boraginaceae)." Comptes rendus biologies 328.7 (2005): 642-647. Yu, Douglas W., and Naomi E. Pierce. "A castration parasite of an ant–plant mutualism." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences 265.1394 (1998): 375-382. ---------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Snapchat: YoDrJoe Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from SciencePhoto http://www.sciencephoto.com/ and Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Thursday · 8 min

    Why Are There As Many Males As Females?

    Evolution doesn’t pick a side! Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ In almost every animal species on Earth, equal numbers of males and females are conceived. Why is that? Especially in populations like lions or elephant seals, where most males don’t get to mate? That’s survival of the laziest, not survival of the fittest. It turns out that in most cases, an equal balance of the sexes is the evolutionary stable strategy. From Charles Darwin to Ronald Fisher to W.D. Hamilton to Richard Dawkins, the question of why there’s as many males as females has fascinated biologists. Today, we’ll explain why that is the way it is. READ MORE: Fisher, R. A. “The genetical theory of natural selection” Dawkins, Richard “The Selfish Gene” http://amzn.to/2omkuFr Hamilton, W. D. (1967). Extraordinary sex ratios. Science, 156(3774), 477-488. ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter:@DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Stephanie Keep Creative Director: David Schulte Editor/animator: Karl Boettcher and Derek Borsheim Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com ------ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Showing 221–240 of 315 episodes